David started his journey into acting in Lafayette, Louisiana. How did he make his way onto the New York stage and go on to become an award winning audiobook narrator, with over 100 book titles under his belt?

In this episode of Asians in Art, we speak to David about the challenges he faced as an Asian American, his path to acting, and how his early focus on forging a sustainable career ultimately led to a SOVAS Voice Arts award for his narrations, including DC's All-Star Superman audiobook.

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Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

What have our guests been up to since we last spoke with them? From books to music awards to exhibitions, we give you the latest.

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Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

It's said that history is written in stone, but playwright Lauren Yee finds it in the ordinary, whether in the groove of a Cambodian psych-rock record, at a basketball game in Beijing 1989 or in 1990s post-Soviet Union.

San Francisco-born Yee has made a career of exploring the crossover of the personal and the political, finding humor in the heart of great historical change.

In this episode of Asians in Art, we trace her trajectory from a childhood interest in storytelling to her position as one of the most vital voices in US theater.

Inside the Episode:

- Yee's childhood in San Francisco and how it fostered a unique perspective on identity.

- The stories behind her acclaimed plays, from The Great Leap's exploration of US-China relations at a critical juncture to Mother Russia's portrait of post-Soviet change.

- Advice for up-and-coming writers on cultivating community.

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Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

Topics covered: Lauren Yee, Asian American playwright, The Great Leap, US-China relations, Beijing 1989, Cambodian psychedelic rock, Dengue Fever, post-Soviet Central Asia, Mother Russia (play), San Francisco Asian American identity, theater writing advice, Asian American writers.

How has acting changed? What does it mean to be an Asian American working actor? In this episode, actors Jo Mei and Kenneth Lee discuss a life devoted to acting, the essence of acting and the drive for greater representation of Asian Americans in movies, television, and theater productions.

Kenneth Lee is an accomplished actor and advocate known for his versatility across major international stages and television. He famously originated the leading role of Hsu in Matt Charman’s The Machine, performing at the Park Avenue Armory, Donmar Warehouse, and the Manchester International Festival. His extensive theater credits range from classical turns in Hamlet and Henry IV Parts 1 & 2 at The Shakespeare Theatre to contemporary works like Snow in Midsummer at Classic Stage Company and The Great Leap at Portland Center Stage. A familiar face on screen, Kenneth has appeared in critically acclaimed series such as Mr. Robot, Search Party, The Blacklist, and Power Book III: Raising Kanan. Beyond his performance work, he is a founding member of the Asian American Performers’ Action Coalition (AAPAC), a recipient of a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre.

Jo Mei is an OBIE Award-winning actress currently appearing in Compagnia de’ Colombari’s production of King Lear at The Ellen Stewart Theatre (January 23 – February 8, 2026). She is widely celebrated for her work in the world-premiere of Salesman之死 with Yangtze Rep, and her notable New York stage credits include Anatomy of a Suicide at the Atlantic Theater, The World of Extreme Happiness at Manhattan Theatre Club, and Lunch Bunch with PlayCo/Clubbed Thumb. On the regional circuit, she has appeared in acclaimed productions such as The Great Wave at Berkeley Rep, King of Hell’s Palace at The Goodman, and Fingersmith at A.R.T.

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Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

Topics covered: Jo Mei, Kenneth Lee, Asian American working actors, acting craft, actor's life, representation in Hollywood, Asian American representation in film, television and theater, AAPAC (Asian American Performers Action Coalition), Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, OBIE Award, The Machine (play), Park Avenue Armory, Donmar Warehouse, The Great Leap, Salesman之死, Yangtze Rep, Asian American theater advocacy, stage acting, acting craft

For this episode of Asians in Art, we spoke with interdisciplinary artist Xyza Cruz Bacani at her most recent installation, The Diaspora is Home, at Flux IV in New York.

At the age of 19, Xyza travelled from Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya to join her mother in Hong Kong, to work as a nanny for an affluent family. Bacani started taking casual photographs after purchasing her first digital single-lens reflex camera with a loan from her employer.

She is known for her black-and-white photographs of Hong Kong and documentary projects about migration and the intersections of labor and human rights. She is one of the Magnum Foundation's Human Rights Fellows and a winner of multiple awards for her works. She has been recognized as one of Asia Society’s Asia 21 Young Leaders, Artpil’s 30 Under 30 Women Photographers, Forbes’s 30 Under 30 Asia, and BBC’s 100 Women of the World. Her artistic accomplishments are documented by the Philippines House of Representatives under ‘House Resolution No. 1969’.

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Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

Nancy Matsumoto is an award-winning author who writes about agroecology, food sovereignty, the vibrant world of food and drink, and Japanese American culture and history.

Her latest book, Reaping What She Sows: How Women Are Rebuilding Our Broken Food System, shares the stories of female changemakers who are innovating shorter and more transparent food supply chains that prioritize sustainability and equity – against the odds.

A third-generation Japanese American and holder of three sake certifications, she is the co-author of the James Beard award-winning Exploring the World of Japanese Craft Sake (Tuttle Publishing, 2022). Her book, By the Shore of Lake Michigan (UCLA Asian American Studies Center Press, 2024), a translation of a volume of Japanese tanka poetry published in 1960 by her grandparents Tomiko and Ryokuyō Matsumoto, was awarded an American Book Award in 2025.

We talk with Nancy about her latest book, her craft, and how food has been front and center of her life since the very first taste she had as a baby.

Connect with Nancy on her social media accounts or follow her on Substack https://www.nancymatsumoto.com/

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Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

A big thank you to Michael Parloff and the Parlance Chamber Concerts for providing us with the footage of Seth Morris on flute and Mariko Anraku on harp, playing the Cadenza from the first movement of Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto. And a big heartfelt thanks to Alexis Spieldenner at Bravo Niagara, for providing us with the footage for Kimiko's Pearl, composed by Kevin Lau, featuring Mariko Anraku on harp, Conrad Chow on violin, Ron Korb on Japanese shinobue and concert flute, bass flute, and Rachel Mercer on cello. Recorded, mixed and sound designed by Aaron Tsang.

Japanese harpist Mariko Anraku has been hailed as “a masterful artist of intelligence and wit” (New York Times) and “a manifestation of grace and elegance” (Jerusalem Post). Since 1995, she has been the Associate Principal Harpist of the world renowned Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York. Anraku's talent has earned her numerous honors, including first prize at the 1st Nippon Harp Competition and both third prize and the Pearl Chertok Prize for her exceptional performance at the 11th International Harp Contest in Israel.

As an EMI Classics recording artist, she performs at prestigious festivals and venues worldwide, capturing audiences as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral musician. While deeply rooted in Western classical tradition, Anraku is passionate about pushing the harp into new creative territory through contemporary works. She's collaborated with Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa and Buddhist monks, and with Canadian composer Kevin Lau on his score for Kimiko's Pearl.

Beyond performing, Anraku shares her knowledge as a judge at international competitions and teaches at the Manhattan School of Music, Bard Conservatory, and The Pacific Music Festival. She recently sat down with Asians in Art for a heartfelt conversation about her musical upbringing, her love of opera, and the wisdom she shares with young musicians finding their own paths.

Asians in Art kicks off with British-Chinese film director Po Chih Leong, a pioneer who has charted his own distinct film making path, and whose films helped reshape Hong Kong’s cinematic landscape.

Throughout his career, Leong has used drama and comedy to explore the cultural tensions between East and West and the resilience of humanity amid violence and chaos.

Join Karuna, Szewah and Po Chih as they discuss his films, the diaspora experience and his biggest creative influence.

This podcast features Jumping Ash (1976), Hong Kong 1941 (1986) starring Chow Yun Fat, Cecilia Yip and Alex Man, Ping Pong (1986) starring Lucy Liu and David Yip, and The Jade Pendant (2017), based on the story by L.P. Leung, starring Clara Yee, Tzi Ma, Russell Wong, Godfrey Gao and Mark Boone Junior.

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Music: Justin Jen

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Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho

Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

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